The present invention relates to the microbiological analysis of a natural sample originating in a porous, fractured or liquid material which is prepared in a manner for the qualitative and/or quantitative determination of viable communities of interest. The deployment of the device to intimately interact with the sample of interest is specifically designed to detect active communities of bacteria within the sample being investigated and by means of intrinsic or extrinsic changes associated with the device to evaluate their activities.
The preparation of the samples from qualitative and semiquantitative soil with fertility assay using intrinsic or cultured soil algae is known from British patent No. 1405/62. This method places a series of porous cellulosic discs pretreated to differentiate the status of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium within the underpinning soil sample.
In the development of this invention, regarding the deployment of porous discs, it became apparent that further improvements could be made to the device and the structure and form of the porous structure with defined modifications to the manipulated environment within the device. Further improvements were achieved in the modification of environment developed within the device by the application of specific chemistries (U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,072) and with the introduction an oxidation restriction achieved in the form of a floating impermeable device. This device was further modified (U.S. Pat. No. D687, 512) by increasing the surface areal contact points to increase the microbiological attachment potentials to the floating device. An additional device was developed to increase the surface area created by the deployment of a porous structure to release selected chemicals into the contained sample within the device positioned by a peninsulate extension. It became evident during development of the invention that that a number of unique features could be incorporated into the device. This invention relates to the more convenient assessment to the activities of microorganisms extrinsic to the device but still within the zone of intimate interaction with diagnosable outcomes.